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US Blu-ray and DVD releases: The Death of Superman, Breaking In, Life of the Party, On Chesil Beach, Star Wars Rebels Season 4 and more

Posted by Mike Spring on Aug 7, 2018 in All, DVD/Blu-ray, Film, Reviews | Comments Off on US Blu-ray and DVD releases: The Death of Superman, Breaking In, Life of the Party, On Chesil Beach, Star Wars Rebels Season 4 and more

On Chesil Beach

Life of The Party – Another Melissa McCarthy movie, another example of Melissa McCarthy playing literally the same character in every movie she’s in. Actually, I should correct that. She has TWO characters: The loud, obnoxious nice person and the loud, obnoxious not-so-nice person. In this case, she plays the loud obnoxious nice person (which is admittedly preferable to the alternative.) And while I’m rarely a fan of most of her movies, this one is particularly unfunny. Wasting a supporting cast that includes Gillian Jacobs, Stephen Root, Maya Rudolph, Jacki Weaver, Julie Bowen, and Chris Parnell, the film just isn’t funny. The jokes fall flat, the awkward scenes play out for too long, and there isn’t a single scene that even remotely resembles anything that might happen in reality. Skip this one and save yourself 90 minutes.

Breaking In – Gabrielle Union and Billy Burke star in this home invasion thriller that adds a small twist: in this case, a mom has to break back into a super-secure home when a group of thieves take her children hostage. Aside from that, it’s a pretty by-the-numbers action flick; entertaining and enjoyable enough but completely forgettable the second its over. The real bright spot of the film is Billy Burke, who plays the head thief. He manages to be completely menacing and charming at the same time, and makes a cookie-cutter role more interesting than it should have been. Gabrielle Union also represents well, in the much more physical and adrenaline-drenched lead role. Like I said, it’s a decent flick, but nothing memorable.

The Death of Superman – I couldn’t figure out why DC decided to make a Death of Superman animated movie. After all, they already did with Superman: Doomsday, which – although it came out in 2007 – wasn’t exactly in need of a remake. Then I saw in the bonus features on this release a sneak peek at DC’s next animated movie, and it all clicked into place. Turns out, DC is doing a movie based on Reign of the Supermen, which was the storyline in the original comics that came directly after the Death of Superman, and it’s one of the greats. So it makes sense that DC would want to relaunch this storyline, update it, and make it more of a two-part movie. The good news is that this one is an improvement over the 2007 film, with a better story, more characters, and plenty of action. The Blu-ray comes with a limited-edition superman PVC figure, which is a nice bonus. Now I can’t wait for Reign of the Supermen!

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Four – I love this show. Love it, love it, love it. Now, admittedly I’m a huge Star Wars fan, but I think it’s pretty clear that the show is catered to kids who like Star Wars as well as adult fans, and it works so well. The first season was solid and enjoyable; the second season upped the ante and the third season was utterly fantastic. There have been more and more ties to the films (the show takes place before A New Hope) in each season, which I love. Also, the cast of main characters is terrific (plus some more familiar faces became semi-regular characters!) Sadly, this is the last season of the show, and while I would have liked to see it continue on, I respect the creators’ decision to end on their own terms and keep the series strong rather than dragging it out into unnecessary episodes. Rebels fans, this one will complete your collection and you’ll love it.

On Chesil Beach – Based on the Ian McEwan novel, On Chesil Beach is a touching drama about a young couple who find romance, and then discover that societal pressure and personal issues are about to make their relationship much more difficult. The film plays with a non-linear narrative, flashing back and forward from happy times to… well, much less happy times. Saorse Ronan and Billy Howle play the couple in question, and Ronan is typically excellent. Howle is also good, but not quite to the level of Ronan. I wish I could say I enjoyed the film more, but it’s a bit melodramatic and despite the strong performances, the story as a whole didn’t get me wrapped up in it.

Mac and Me – If you’re a Paul Rudd fan, you’ll probably be most familiar with this film from his frequent late-night television talk show appearances on Conan O’Brien’s shows. See, every time Rudd has appeared on Conan’s show for the past 15 years or so, he’s introduced a clip from whatever project he’s promoting, and they will instead have a clip from Mac and Me played instead. (It’s actually pretty darn funny.) I don’t know why he honed in on this film, but for those of you who have become curious about it, it’s finally available on Blu-ray for the first time. The 1988 kids’ film that was sponsored by McDonalds is effectively a low-budget take on E.T., and it’s pretty cheesy, but there is a definite so-bad-its-good quality to it. Whether you love this film earnestly or ironically, it’s great to see it finally get a proper home video release.

Riverdale: Season 2 – I’ve been a fan of Archie comic books literally since I could read. I’ve always loved the world of Riverdale, and I was excited to see it come to the small screen, especially as a mix of Twin Peaks and the original Archie comics. And while it’s not quite as weird or confusing as Twin Peaks, it definitely has a very dark tone to it. Sometimes it’s a little too dark (I feel like the show could use a little more humor), but overall I’ve really enjoyed it. The second season’s central mystery revolves around The Black Hood, a serial killer terrorizing Riverdale who has mysterious ties to Archie and Betty and the gang. It’s an engaging show that manages to take the classic comics and deliver them with a twist.

Someone’s Watching Me – One of John Carpenter’s earliest projects, Someone’s Watching Me is a TV movie from 1978 with a surprising pedigree: not only did Carpenter write and direct it, but it also stars Lauren Hutton and Adrienne Barbeau. Despite the obvious age and budgetary restrictions of the film, it’s still an effective and taut thriller. The story follows a woman who moves into a new apartment, only to find that, well, someone’s watching her. As the threat from her peeping tom escalates, she fights back, setting out to discover her stalker’s identity. There are some nice John Carpenter hallmarks in the cinematography and atmosphere, and while it’s not exactly the high point of his career, Carpenter fans should be thrilled to have this one on Blu-ray for the first time.

Dead Shack – Zombie comedies are neither new nor particularly easy to do, but Dead Shack gives it a pretty game try, and for the most part succeeds. It’s not a classic like, say, Shaun of the Dead, but despite it’s low budget and unknown cast, the film delivers some good zombie kills, a dose of humor that isn’t overly forced (for the most part), and ends up being a satisfying way to kill 90 minutes. Zombie fans who are tired of one bad undead flick after another should at least get a kick out of this one.

Also available this week on Home Video:

Transporter 3 (4K Ultra HD) – I’m not quite sure why Lionsgate decided to release Transporter 3 on the premium 4K Ultra HD format when (at least to my knowledge) Transporter and Transporter 2 aren’t yet available in 4K, but here we are. I always loved this series, and while you might expect a drop-off in quality as the films came out, I always felt like the third film was just as good as the first two. In 4K Ultra HD, the film looks and sounds pretty darn good. It’s not an A/V revolution, but colors are more vibrant, blacks are richer, and the image clarity is razor sharp, allowing the action on screen to always remain easily visible. The surround soundtrack packs the requisite punch as well, although I haven’t done a direct comparison to the previous version on Blu-ray only. Hopefully, the first two films will drop soon so we can have the complete trilogy in 4K Ultra.

Happy Endings: The Complete Series – I’m not sure if I ever agreed with all the buzz about Happy Endings, but it’s a relatively funny sitcom that is set squarely in the Friends mold, just a bit zanier. Actually, if you take the relationships of Friends and crossed them with the wackiness of How I Met Your Mother, you’d have Happy Endings, just with one more African American character than those two shows combined. But regardless of how I feel, the show always had a devoted fan following, and those fans will be happy to see not only the first Complete Series offering of the show, but also that it’s available on Blu-ray as well as DVD. And with Mill Creek producing the set, it’s also extremely affordable, which is a nice bonus. It’s fun to revisit the show, even if I’m not a die-hard fan.

Marrowbone – With a cast of young and up-and-coming actors, Marrowbone is a new horror film that strives to do good things and partially succeeds. On the plus side, the cast is really strong; much better than you usually get in a horror film these days. George Mackay (Captain Fantastic), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) and Mia Goth (A Cure for Wellness) all make watching the film an easy experience. More a psychological thriller than a horror film, the movie isn’t exactly fast-paced, but it did keep my interest throughout. It’s not a slam dunk, but it’s certainly not a bad film, either.

The Wildling, Pyewacket, and Lowlife – Scream Factory brings us three new horror movies on Blu-ray and DVD this week. The Wildling is yet another nail in the coffin of werewolf films, proving that they are seemingly impossible to do well, despite a good central performance from up-and-coming actress Bel Powley. Pyewacket is a solid horror flick that sees a teenage girl lash out at her mother by putting a curse on her. When she tries to retract it, she learns that there are no takebacks and the mother and daughter must survive the rise of an ancient and horrible being. Laurie Holden (Andrea from The Walking Dead) stars as the mom, and she definitely adds some skill to the proceedings. Finally, we have Lowlife, which is a bit of an oddball. It’s got a non-linear timeline, a Mexican wrestler, organ harvesting, humor, and action, and it’s definitely not for everyone. I’m not sure how much I liked it to be honest; I feel like I need another viewing just to figure out what I was watching. But I think there’s an audience for this film to be sure.

Flora – With a storyline that seems at least a little inspired by Scott Smith’s The Ruins, this thriller set in 1929 sees a group of botany students contending with a malevolent force of sorts in the deep jungle. While that makes it sound like a kind of monster or slasher flick, it’s anything but. This is a more cerebral horror film, where the killer is less a who or a what than a where. To say more would give away the story, but Flora is a solid debut effort from 25-year-old director Sasha Louis Vukovic. The film has some pacing issues and may not be exciting enough for some viewers, but I found it relatively enjoyable. Worth a look, at least.

Blackmark – This low-budget thriller with a cast of unknowns does the best it can with the resources it has, and the end result is a direct-to-video thriller that is fairly watchable. I know that sounds like damning with faint praise, but I’ve seen so many of these direct-to-video movies by now, and honestly, most of them are pretty awful. In this one, an American military industrialist and a Soviet nuclear commander try to prevent a nuclear disaster. I’ve seen better, I’ve seen worse.

No Offence: Series 1 – There is no shortage of British crime procedurals in the world, but since most of them range from average to excellent, it’s hard to argue with the continued production of them. The latest one to be released on home video is No Offence: Series 1. As the title might imply, this isn’t just a by-the-book mystery show. Yes, it deals with cops and cases, but it also has a vein of dark humor running through it and it also features characters that aren’t all as aboveboard as you might expect. With a terrific cast that includes Elaine Cassidy, Joanna Scanlan, Alexandra Roach, and Colin Salmon, this show really won me over. Check it out.

Big Fish & Begonia – On the surface (no pun intended) this anime film seems to have some similarities to The Little Mermaid but really, they’re completely different films. Yes, the protagonist of both is a young undersea-dwelling girl who wants to learn more about the surface world. But it’s there that the similarities end. In Big Fish & Begonia, our heroine becomes a dolphin and is saved by a young human boy who drowns while saving her. She then goes on a quest to return his life to him. As you can see, pretty different. This one has traces of adventure, drama, fantasy, and discovery, and while it’s not something I’d normally go out of my way to see, it’s an enjoyable enough film to make worth watching.

Digimon Adventure tri.: Coexistence – If you had asked me any time in the last 20 years, I would have told you that Digimon probably died out back in the 90s in the wake of the original Pokemon/Dragonball Z Turns out, it’s still going strong. This latest release is yet another feature-length movie, running just over 90 minutes, and apparently, it’s the fifth film in a series (that I believe is going to be six films total.) While the story still doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense to me, I will say that the animation is quite good and looks better than what I’m used to seeing from these kinds of shows. This is one of those releases that I’m sure is a big deal to the existing fan base, but I can’t say it’s going to do much to create new viewers.

The Rider – I’ve seen some pretty glowing reviews of writer/director Chloe Zhao’s The Rider, and it’s hard to say they’re not earned. This intimate drama about an injured young rodeo cowboy who finds himself adrift in life is hard-hitting, intense, and well-acted. Brady Jandreau, who was also a rodeo rider that got injured in real life, turns in an excellent performance in the lead role, and the film doesn’t pull any punches. It’s not a cheerful film or an easy watch, but it is a rewarding one.

Alien Code – I’ve been a big fan of Kyle Gallner for a long time, so even though I didn’t expect much from Alien Code, I wanted to watch it anyway. And despite its low-budget and pedestrian direction, the film has a certain charm to it. If you like most of SyFy’s original films, this one will be right up your alley. Gallner plays a cryptologist who receives a message from the future that may or may not detail a disastrous event to come. Gallner gives it his all, and having Mary McCormack and Richard Schiff along in supporting roles is a nice bonus. It’s not a must-watch, but if you like some decent sci-fi with a game cast, it’s a fun enough way to kill 90 minutes.

Pickings – I didn’t really know anything about Pickings when I sat down to watch it, but I was pleasantly surprised when I did. Young director Usher Morgan has crafted a sort of neo-noir action film about a family who must fight off the mob when they come calling to horn in on the family’s business: a bar named Pickings. Morgan knows how to work with what he’s got, and he uses his budget wisely, delivering maximum thrills for minimum cost. Add to that an excellent performance by lead actress Elyse Price (and the fact that the film’s main protagonist is a kick-ass woman) and the result is an indie film with a lot of grit.

Elena Of Avalor: Realm of The Jaquins – This latest DVD collection comes from the hit Elena of Avalor animated series, a newer show from Disney that expands the Disney Princess line for younger viewers. The show exists in the same universe as Disney’s popular Sofia the First, which makes it kind of a neat spin-off (of sorts). In it, young Princess Elena learns how to rule the kingdom on her way to becoming Queen. Along the way, she is joined by her friends (which include a wizard and magical flying creatures called Jaquins) and has to face some bad guys who aren’t threatening enough to be scary to little kids. Perfect for young children looking for a new show.

Kingdoms of the Sky and Earth’s Natural Wonders: Season 2 – PBS has two new nature-themed releases this week. First up is Kingdoms of the Sky, which takes us to the tops of the Himalaya, Rockies, and Andes as we meet the people who make their homes in these extreme climates. Each mountain range gets its own episode, and seeing what life is like in some of the most hostile environments on earth is fascinating. Meanwhile, Earth’s Natural Wonders: Season 2 is subtitled Life at the Extremes, which makes this kind of a themed release week from PBS. Here you also get three episodes: Surviving the Extreme; Surviving with Animals; and Surviving Against the Odds, all of which detail people who make lives in some of the most interesting and unusual places on the planet (including mountains) such as tropical islands and rainforests. I’ll take a tropical island over a mountaintop any day of the week!